'Cool.' Jasper raced over to the corner of the room and clambered up onto a stool.
'What a charmer.' Holly smiled at Noel. 'Sure to be a heart-breaker.'
'Yeah, he's much better with the ladies than I am,' he joked, but knew there was an edge to his voice, 'takes after his dad and uncle.' Matt and Stephen were usually the ones who got the girls. He was the wingman, the quiet afterthought. Matt had told him to try smiling more, engage in conversation. Stephen, younger and brasher, had taken a different tack. 'If you stopped scowling and looking so flipping miserable, you might get more action.' Thanks so much, mate.
He did all right if he wanted to. He just wasn't that bothered most of the time. He liked being alone. Avoid the complication, minimise the risks.
'So.' Holly said as they threaded their way through the tables. 'Pretty ironic that someone who hates Christmas is named after it.'
'Hilarious.' Noel dead-panned, sliding onto the stool next to Jasper, trying to work out how to avoid the questions she was sure to ask. The air smelt of cinnamon, and the steam rising from jugs of hot milk staff members were heating up and pouring into mugs. The clatter of cutlery and conversations created a lively din.
'So, one of your parents must have liked Christmas?' Holly prompted, sitting down opposite him.
Yep, just as he'd expected. He shifted in his chair and picked up a menu. 'What's good in here?'
Holly blinked at his deflection, then shrugged. 'You can make it merry; they do a mean tipsy hot chocolate, or there's mulled cider, and you can get champagne and truffles or cream tea as part of Skate Extra,' at his blank look she explained, 'packages you can book. And their signature drink is the Fortnum's Bees Knees cocktail I think…but seeing as it's only half past three it's probably a bit early for that.'
'Yeah, and you're also showing what you spend your evenings doing,' he replied cheekily, 'but what else is good?'
'Everything really. The standard hot chocolates are nice; you can add whipped cream, chocolate shavings and marshmallows.'
Jasper started humming noisily and swinging his legs, attracting attention from the family at the next table who were feasting on a delicious looking chocolate fondue.
'What are you going to have, Jay?' Noel asked. 'Hot chocolate?'
Jasper nodded, his humming increasing. Then he stopped. 'What is there to do in here? Are there any toys?'
Noel hesitated. Come clean or try and fudge something? 'No, not really, this is a café really but-'
'I'm bored, did you bring my iPad?'
'No, because we came to skate,' Noel said patiently.
'But Melody always-'
'Why don't we order and then we can-' his voice broke halfway through the sentence.
'Have you ever seen this before?' Holly exclaimed, pulling a smartphone from her pocket and quickly tapping the screen. 'Look at this cool app.'
'What is it?' Jasper scooched nearer to her.
'It's a tracker for Santa. On Christmas Eve you can see where he is as he travels around the world delivering presents.'
'Woah, really?' he bounced up and down in his seat, using his new favourite word. 'Cool.'
Noel rolled his eyes at Holly. 'Now you've done it,' he murmured in a low voice.
Holly carried on what she was doing but to his surprise stuck a small pink tongue out at him. 'Yep, really.' She turned back to Jasper, 'And you can even see where he is now, at his home in the North Pole. Look,' she handed the phone over, showing him where to press for more information, 'but it only works for good boys and girls. So you need to let your uncle sort out the drinks nicely.' She threw a look at Noel and he got the hint. She was good. He went and spoke with a member of staff and within minutes they each had a luxurious hot chocolate in front of them, the heat of the milk quickly melting the generous lashings of whipped cream.
Noel wrapped his hands around the drink and chilled out while Holly and Jasper chatted about ice skating. It would soon be time for him to take another turn on the ice before taking Jay home, giving him dinner and trying to wrestle him into bed at a sensible time. At least he was going to be doing it at Matt's pad in Knightsbridge rather than attempting to somehow shoehorn Jasper into his tiny flat in Camden.
'So, what do you like most about Christmas?' Holly was quizzing Jasper as Noel turned his attention back to their conversation.
'I like the tree, and decorations, and sweets and presents and games and being with Daddy! And sometimes Aimee when she's not reading, or telling me what to do.' The boy rocked back and forth in his chair, a cream moustache coating his top lip. 'What about you?' he asked Holly.
Noel swore he could already see devotion in the boy's eyes, as Jasper waited for Holly's response.
'I like crackling log fires,' Holly replied, face glowing, 'and drinking eggnog. Being with my family to see them open their gifts, then watching Bond films and Disney classics on TV, cracking open nuts and filling up on Quality Street and After Eights. I also like the excuse for big hugs on a cold day, and mistletoe hanging in unexpected places.' She slid a sideways glance at Noel. 'There are lots of good things about Christmas.'
Noel sighed. Despite what she'd said about respecting his wishes, he was sure she was making a play for converting him. But she was nice, really nice. It made him feel bad about the partial lie he'd told her about the reason for Jay not being able to learn tricks, in terms of Matt being overprotective. The core of the truth was that because of who Matt was, he wouldn't want Jasper attracting any attention. He was all about keeping his kids out of the spotlight, not thrusting them into it.
'Noel?' Holly waved a hand in front of his face.
'Hmm? Sorry I was thinking about something.' He zoned back in. 'What did you say?'
'That there are lots of good things about Christmas.'
'Oh yeah, hugs and mistletoe.' He paused, a sudden image of kissing her under a bunch of small white berries and green leaves springing into his head. He shifted in his seat, wishing for looser jeans. 'I suppose it might have some compensations.' He agreed slowly, looking at her intently and raising an eyebrow.
Holly blushed, then shook her head. 'I-I'm going to have to go,' she jumped off her stool. 'Thank you for the hot chocolate, Noel,' she gave him a tight, polite smile but turned a megawatt grin on Jasper, so he was in no doubt whose company she'd preferred, 'it was lovely meeting you. I really hope I see you tomorrow. If not, have a great Christmas.' She held a hand out to the boy and they shook solemnly. 'Take care,' she backed away, and ran out the door.
And with that she was gone, Noel staring after her bewildered, with a goodbye, thanks for everything, dying on his lips.
***
Holly skidded to a grinding halt on the ice, much less graceful than her usual style. So they were back then. She'd spent half the day hoping Jasper and Noel would return so she could spend more time with the boy and get him started on some basic spins if his dad okayed it, and the other half dreading them showing up. She'd made an idiot of herself yesterday running out so abruptly, but the look Noel had given her had been unnerving in intensity. The last time a guy had looked at her that way it had ended in heartbreak. Hers.
Still, they were heading over, so she'd better suck it up and be polite.
She'd just have to ignore the flutter of excitement mixed with nerves in the pit of her stomach.
'Jasper! It's so cool to see you again,' she crouched down on her skates, tucking her hands into her armpits to keep them warm. It was colder today than the previous day, but she didn't like wearing gloves, it